People know, without conscious thought, that you can’t talk to someone if they’re asleep. Likewise, we naturally go to sleep or at least zone out if we don’t want to hear someone talking. These are examples of physiological “state” variables, in which the response (e.g., hearing/attending or not) is dependent only on our state of being, not on other processes. This is obvious to us but is it obvious to Smart Things?
The State of Us
The idea of Smart is to devise devices that assume responsibility for some of daily stuff we haul around in our heads (e.g., calendars, current state of the stock market, our to-do lists, etc.), thus freeing us up to be more productive or get more sleep. Smart devices and their attendant systems can’t get very Smart unless they sense and understand our current state of being and adjust accordingly. No point to telling us the stock market news when we’re asleep, right? And in that same state of sleep, it wouldn’t be Smart for hearing aids to crank up the volume, process the heck out of speech in noise, translate languages, or let us know we’re safe from falling. We take these things for granted but Smart Things must be taught and then continually monitor what we’re up to.
The State of Smart
Sony is on it with USPTO #10234936, which describes wearable devices that monitor individuals’ attention levels and workload in real time and trending over time. Devices described in the patent collectively measure state variable data (e.g., heart rate, body temperature), synthesize it with environmental sensors integrated into wearables (e.g., sound, location, external temperature), and feature it remotely. Basically, the devices are asking “Is this a good time?” all the time. Besides assessing our state of availability and receptivity, the Sony patent envisions the Smart devices receiving information from our health records and questionnaires to augment the “attention level/mental workload evaluation.”
IBM’s patent #10243961 uses state variables to perform security checks before allowing access to wearable users’ financial and home systems. It does that by:
“…transmit(ing) a state inquiry to a wearable device registered to the user. The current state of the user is received from the wearable device, such as whether the user is sitting, standing, walking, sleeping, etc. If the system determines that the current user state allows the action to be performed at the site by the user, then the action is performed. “
Once IBM knows you’re you, it plans, at least theoretically, to monitor your healthy state of being for signs of functional changes which could flag early health conditions including hearing loss. Toward that end, IBM patent #10238333 (Daily cognitive monitoring of early signs of hearing loss) envisions a system that starts by:1
- obtaining baseline hearing ability
- receiving, collecting and aggregating audio data for at least a month from one or more data collection devices.
Next, the patent identifies “indications of hearing loss” via AI analyses of the data by means never attempted by any audiologist. Anyone who’s done even a modicum of programming will recognize the way in which AI parses and proceeds with the “identification” process:
- “determine whether an emotion of the user and/or at least one noise caused an elevated speech volume,
- wherein the emotion is determined based on a trait not utilized during normal speaking,
- and wherein the trait is selected from the group consisting of:
- a cracking voice of the user,
- an emphasis on words that indicate the emotion,
- an emphasis on words that indicate the emotion,
- an emphasis on parts of words that indicate the emotion,
- and combinations thereof;
- identify at least one noise from the audio data from the group consisting of:
- background noise,
- ambient noise,
- and combinations thereof;
- normalize the audio data to:
- account for the emotion of the user and the identified noise,
- discount the elevated speech volume accordingly, prior to storing the audio data to a computer readable storage medium;
- analyze the stored audio data for one or more indicia of hearing loss;
- alert the user of the one or more indicia of hearing loss being detected in response to determining hearing loss that exceeds a predetermined threshold percentage of the baseline hearing.
Whew. We should be thankful that it’s AI and not us doing this work, at least not consciously and 24/7.2 But, being theoretical and all, the patent never specifies any actual user interface. Something in the ear seems like a basic requirement, if only to measure sound at the input stage.
The March 2019 List
|
Description |
Patent Number |
Assignee |
Issued |
|
Method and apparatus for fitting a hearing device |
Sonova AG (Stafa, CH) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
System and method for eyelid stimulation |
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Ear cleaning device |
Quest Products LLC (Pleasant Prairie, WI) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Methods for controlled proliferation of stem cells / generating inner ear hair cells using 3-(pyridin-2-yl)-1H-indol-2-ol based compounds |
Frequency Therapeutics Inc. (Woburn, MA) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Integrity evaluation system in an implantable hearing prosthesis |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Method for controlling a hearing device via touch gestures, a touch gesture controllable hearing device and a method for fitting a touch gesture controllable hearing device |
Sonova AG (Stafa, CH) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Wearable audio device |
Audio Analytic Ltd. (Cambridge, GB) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Application controlled variable audio ear plugs |
Sprint Communications Company LP (Overland Park, KS) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Portable electronic system with improved wireless communication |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Ear piece with pseudolite connectivity |
Bragi GmbH (Munchen, DE) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid system |
Green, Mason (Savage, MN) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Method and hearing aid for frequency-dependent reduction of noise in an input signal |
Sivantos PTE Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Hearing assistance system with own voice detection |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Hearing system comprising a binaural speech intelligibility predictor |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Method for operating a hearing system as well as a hearing system |
Sonova AG (Stafa, CH) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Tinnitus masking in hearing prostheses |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
3/05/2019 |
|
|
Sound processing for a bilateral cochlear implant system |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
3/12/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid and a method of operating a hearing aid system |
Widex A/S (Lynge, DK) |
3/12/2019 |
|
|
Wearable device obtaining audio data for diagnosis |
Koninklijke Philips NV (Eindhoven, NL) |
3/12/2019 |
|
|
Portable listening device system |
Apple Inc. (Cupertino, CA) |
3/12/2019 |
|
|
Off-ear and on-ear headphone detection |
Avnera Corp (Beaverton, OR) |
3/12/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid comprising a beam former filtering unit comprising a smoothing unit |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
3/12/2019 |
|
|
Binaural hearing aid system |
Sivantos PTE Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
3/12/2019 |
|
|
Method for improving a picked-up signal in a hearing system and binaural hearing system |
Sivantos PTE Ltd (Singapore, SG) |
3/12/2019 |
|
|
Spectacle hearing device system |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
3/12/2019 |
|
|
Hearing assistance device with balanced feed-line for antenna |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
3/12/2019 |
|
|
Hearing aid adjustment via mobile device |
ARM Ltd (Cambridge, GB) |
3/12/2019 |
|
|
Hearing device for being worn at least partly within an ear canal and a method for manufacturing such a hearing device |
Sonova AG (Stafa, CH) |
3/12/2019 |
|
|
Method for evaluating an individual hearing benefit of a hearing device feature and for fitting a hearing device |
Sonova AG (Stafa, CH) |
3/12/2019 |
|
|
Ear buds for headset |
D842843 |
Fitbit Inc. (San Francisco, CA) |
3/12/2019 |
|
Implant magnet system |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
3/19/2019 |
|
|
Device implantable under skin |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
3/19/2019 |
|
|
Smart wearable devices and methods with attention level and workload sensing |
Sony Corporation of America (New York, NY) |
3/19/2019 |
|
|
Deformable ear tip for earphone and method therefor |
Apple Inc. (Cupertino, CA) |
3/19/2019 |
|
|
Enhancing a listening experience by adjusting physical attributes of an audio playback system based on detected environmental attributes of the system’s environment |
Apple Inc. (Cupertino, CA) |
3/19/2019 |
|
|
Devices and methods for hearing |
EarLens Corporation (Menlo Park, CA) |
3/19/2019 |
|
|
Audio logging for protected privacy |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
3/19/2019 |
|
|
Canal hearing devices with improved seals |
Sonova AG (Staefa, CH) |
3/19/2019 |
|
|
Vibrotactile music perception wearable |
Applicant: Bremer, Katja (Berlin, DE) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Daily cognitive monitoring of early signs of hearing loss |
International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Ear wax removal device and methods thereof |
Earways Medical Ltd. (Rosh Ha-Ayin, IL) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Active hearing protection device and method therefore |
EERS Global Technologies Inc. (Montreal AC, CA) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Implantable medical device arrangements |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Composition and method for treating congenital cytomegalovirus induced hearing loss |
The Regents of the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Hearing device and methods for interactive wireless control of an external appliance |
iHear Medical Inc. (San Leandro CA) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Enhanced security using wearable device with authentication system |
International Business Machines Corporation (Armonk, NY) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Wearable wireless audio device |
Piearcings LLC (Kansas City, MO) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Methods and apparatus for wearable personal sound speaker systems |
Applicant: Besgen, Sr., Christopher Michael (Ridgefield, CT) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Instrument with remote object detection unit |
Oticon A/S (Smorum, DK) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Power management shell for ear-worn electronic device |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
In-ear bluetooth headset |
Shenzhen ATX Technology Co. Ltd. (Shenzhen, CN) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Beamforming for a wearable computer |
Amazon Technologies Inc. (Seattle, WA) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Device monitoring for program switching |
Cochlear Limited (Macquarie University, NSW, AU) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Method and apparatus for improving speech intelligibility in hearing devices using remote microphone |
Starkey Laboratories Inc. (Eden Prairie, MN) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Binaural hearing aid system and a method of operating a binaural hearing aid system |
Widex A/S (Lynge, DK) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Pre-load feedback of a middle-ear coupler |
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
S-shaped coupling spring for middle ear implants |
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH (Innsbruck, AT) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Hearing instrument and method of providing such hearing instrument |
GN Hearing A/S (Ballerup, DK) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Method and apparatus for automatically identifying and annotating auditory signals from one or more parties |
Eolas Technologies Inc. (Tyler, TX) |
3/26/2019 |
|
|
Hearing Aid |
Sonova AG (Stafa, CH) |
3/26/2019 |
Footnotes
1 All bullets are loose paraphrases from the patent.
2 Intelligent, meticulous and repeated history-taking by observant clinicians could very well achieve the same results if we could afford the time and could entice adults with early-stage hearing loss to visit us regularly and pay for the privilege. It’s also likely that this holds little appeal to clinicians or future patients/clients.
Holly Hosford-Dunn, PhD, owned and operated a dispensing audiology practice in Tucson and was active in management of HearingHealthMatters.org through 2017. She holds BA degrees in Communication Sciences, Psychology and Economics; MA in Communication Disorders; PhD in Hearing Sciences. Following post-doctoral work at Max Planck Institute (Munich, DE) and Eaton-Peabody Auditory Physiology Lab (Boston), she joined the Stanford medical school faculty as director of audiology. She has authored/edited numerous text books, chapters, journals, and articles and taught Marketing and Practice Management in a variety of academic settings. She continues to consult and write on topics related to hearing health care vis-à-vis consumer demands, professional training, technological advancement, capital investment, industry consolidation, regulatory control, product and service distribution, and strategic pricing.
Wonderful list. Is the author willing to share the search terms used to generate the list? Thanks!
Thank you for admiring the list. We wish we had a cool algorithm to provide for curating the list, but we don’t. After a lot of trial and error, the list continues to be compiled by casting a broad net, using terms like audio, hear, ear, etc, then going through item by item to keep or discard. Next, searching for relevant patents that don’t contain the search terms, going through a bunch of searches by individual companies that include the usual suspects as well other companies we stumble across. Finally, another round of search based on gut feels emanating from what surfaced in the first few rounds. There’s got to be a better way but so far we haven’t found it. If you do, please share back!